$49,200

$270,000

GOAL

The Church of the Holy Trinity 381 Main Street, Middletown CT 06457

Welcome to The Showers for the Homeless Project!

The Showers for the Homeless Project is an effort to construct a safe, clean and aesthetically-pleasing area for members of the homeless population of Middletown, Connecticut so that they are able to attend to hygiene needs.

The facility is to be built in the basement of the Church of the Holy Trinity located at 381 Main Street in Middletown and will include

• separate men’s and women’s shower rooms

• laundry room

• waiting area

• office

• limited number of lockers

• storage closets

• multi-purpose room that can be used for foot care, hair care and other needs.

Once construction of the facility is completed, the area will be staffed by volunteers and personnel trained by St. Vincent DePaul.

Human dignity and the Community of Middletown, CT

The Showers for the Homeless Project is consistent with the principle that communities flourish only when all of their members, including the most vulnerable, have their basic needs met. Fortunately, Middletown has numerous citizens dedicated to the health and well-being of the community as a whole and to the health and well-being of each individual within the community. Supporters of the Showers for the Homeless Project stand with other individuals and agencies in affirming the value and dignity of every human being.

The Showers for the Homeless Project is a not-for-profit venture, and donations are tax deductible.

Checks may be sent to: Showers for the Homeless Project, 381 Main Street, Middletown, CT 06457

Business Plan:

Showers for the Homeless

Online Donation Form

Volunteer

Showers for the Homeless Project Context and History

Why showers?

Despite many excellent agencies providing services to homeless members of our community, certain basic needs of a segment of this population remain unmet. A particularly serious problem for these homeless individuals—one with far-reaching and devastating impact on their physical and mental health—is lack of a means to be clean. The Showers for the Homeless Project seeks to address this need by providing a facility that allows homeless persons to take showers, do their laundry, and receive personal services such as foot care and hair care.

What is the relationship between the Warming Center and the Showers for the Homeless Project?

Building a showers and laundry facility may be viewed as a natural extension of services already provided through the Warming Center. In 2004, the Warming Center (first called Fabian’s Place) was established at Church of the Holy Trinity. The Warming Center was designed to serve homeless persons who were unable to obtain other shelter in the winter. Currently, the location of the Middletown Warming Center alternates between Church of the Holy Trinity at 381 Main Street and South Congregational Church at 9 Pleasant Street. It is directed and staffed by St. Vincent DePaul.

How many persons would the new Showers facility serve?

According to St. Vincent DePaul, the Warming Center served an average of 22 homeless persons per evening last winter. The persons served each night were not necessarily the same persons served every night: the Warming Center served 272 (unduplicated) individuals during the winter season. It is expected that the showers facility will serve the guests who stay at the Warming Center and perhaps others.

What is the relationship between Church of the Holy Trinity and the Showers Project?

The Showers for the Homeless Project is supervised by a Showers for the Homeless Project Committee. The members of this committee come from Church of the Holy Trinity, from other congregations, and from various agencies including the City of Middletown. Although the Showers for the Homeless Project is sponsored by Church of the Holy Trinity through the leadership of its vestry, it is an ecumenical and nonsectarian effort, one that depends for its success on the efforts of many persons from the larger community.

The Church of the Holy Trinity is well-situated for serving the homeless owing to its close proximity to Community Health Services, St. Vincent DePaul Soup Kitchen, and other services. The Church is also the location of the annual Homeless Memorial Service.

There is currently space in the basement of the church that can be converted to a showers/laundry facility. It possesses certain advantages that make it an appropriate place for such a facility: existing drains, entrances on both the north and south sides of the building, new water heaters that will furnish warm water for showers and laundry needs, and a large newly-installed furnace in a room adjoining the designated space that will produce radiant heat to be harvested by the facility.

“Ministry of the Building”

Historically, Church of the Holy Trinity has often offered space to various service groups. The building was used, for example, by Red Cross and the Headstart Program in the past. During an influenza outbreak, it also served as an annex to Middlesex Hospital. Currently, the building is used by a number of groups including 12-step AA and NA programs (that is, Pigs in Space, Friday Night Sanity, and Surrender to Win). There is a clothes collection in the basement. In addition, for the last three summers, a children’s feeding program has taken over the upstairs Sunday school rooms. The church also hosts the Men’s Health Event held by Middlesex Hospital. The building is large and lends itself to creative use.